Category Archives: food

cookie dough cheesecake bars

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i’ve been on a bit of a health kick with my recipes lately, what with summer holidays and beach time fast approaching. lean green smoothies, quinoa salads and guilt-free grapefruit brûlée… so unlike me. i’m craving something indulgent. cookie dough cheesecake bars? that’s more like it.cookie dough cheesecake

the ingredients list looks long for this recipe, because it’s split into three sections for ease of reading, but it’s all pretty standard stuff that is usually lurking in your fridge or pantry – making it the perfect recipe for those rainy sunday afternoons when you feel the sudden need to bake something delicious.

the instructions are incredibly easy – the only thing to know ahead is that you’ll need to clean your freestanding mixer in between making the cookie dough and cheesecake layers. unless you happen to have two. which nobody does, unless you’re martha stewart. or nigella, who seems to have a kitchenaid in every colour. but if you’re normal, you’ll need to clean out your one mixer. no biggie.cookie dough cheesecake cookie dough cheesecake

cookie dough layer:

  • 70g brown sugar
  • 35g regular sugar
  • 75g room temp unsalted butter
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 75g plain flour
  • 135g chocolate chips (milk or dark)
  • pinch of salt

cheesecake layer:

  • 285g room temp cream cheese
  • 1 room temp egg
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 50g regular sugar

crumb crust layer:

  • 140g digestive biscuit (graham cracker) crumbs
  • 75g melted unsalted butter

cookie dough cheesecake

pre-heat oven to 175c. combine the melted butter and digestive biscuit crumbs (make crumbs by bashing biscuits in a freezer bag) until it resembles wet sand. press into a lined baking pan and bake for 10 minutes. remove from oven and allow to cool.

in the meantime make your cheesecake and cookie dough layers. in a freestanding mixer, beat all the cheesecake ingredients – ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature before doing this, otherwise you will have lumps.cookie dough cheesecake

pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crumb crust. clean out your mixing bowl and attachment, and then mix together all of the cookie dough ingredients except the flour and chocolate chips. add the flour slowly and beat to combine, then fold in the chocolate chips.

take small handfuls of the cookie dough and place gently atop the cheesecake. the aim is to completely cover the cheesecake, so pressing the cookie dough chunks flat with your hands before placing will help get a mostly even layer, like this…cookie dough cheesecake

bake in the oven at 175c for 30 minutes. remove and allow to cool completely, and then refrigerate for a few hours. this will challenge your willpower, but i have faith in you. going at it too soon will result in runny cheesecake filling everywhere. we don’t want that now, do we?

when you can’t handle the temptation any longer, remove from the fridge and cut into bars.  just try to stop at one. cookie dough cheesecake cookie dough cheesecake cookie dough cheesecake

grapefruit brûlée

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i get my weekly fruit and vegetables delivered by an organic company called abel & cole. they give you all your basics but always throw in some out of the ordinary produce such as kale, chinese leaf or edible flowers that force me out of my comfort zone when planning meals.grapefruit brulee

recently, grapefruit has been in season and my weekly box has been overflowing with them.

i know, grapefruit is hardly exotic. but typically, i don’t like it. too bitter.grapefruit brulee grapefruit brulee

it makes me do this.grapefruit face

so what to do with all this grapefruit? they’re far too pretty to waste, just look at them:grapefruit brulee

add sugar! sweeten the deal.

i decided on a grapefruit brûlée, which is a fancy way of saying i sprinkled grapefruit halves with brown sugar and stuck them under the grill.grapefruit brulee

cut the grapefruits in half and slice along the segments with a small knife – this allows the sugar sweetness to really penetrate the whole fruit.

sprinkle each half with a heaped tablespoon of brown sugar, and put on a lined baking sheet under the grill (broiler) until the sugar is dissolved and the tops caramelised (about 10 mins).grapefruit brulee

the grapefruit will leak sugary syrup everywhere, make sure you catch it and pour over the fruit when you serve – don’t waste a precious drop!grapefruit brulee grapefruit brulee

grapefruit brûlée is a perfect summer dessert if you are craving something sweet but don’t want to overindulge. the sugar balances out the bitter flavour without losing too much of its distinct tartness. a little dollop of greek yoghurt would be an excellent accompaniment.

enjoy!grapefruit brulee

honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad

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now that spring seems to finally be yawning, stretching, and tentatively coming out of extended hibernation, i can start to get excited about eating fresh, healthy foods again. the countdown to my summer holiday with the girls is officially on and suddenly, bikini body season seems very near. this honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad is the kind of thing i need to be eating.honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad

it’s both wholesome and hearty – absolutely delicious and filling, and so good for you! there’s nothing bad in this recipe – just colourful, fresh ingredients that will leave you feeling totally satisfied and more than a little virtuous.

look how gorgeous the hot pink pomegranate seeds are adorning a rainbow or orange, coral, purple and green! doesn’t it scream summer?honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad

you will need:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 3 medium carrots
  • 2 small pickled beetroot
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • small bag frozen king prawns
  • salad leaves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil plus extra for drizzling
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • zest and juice of 1 small lemon
  • salt and pepper

honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad

pre-heat the oven to 175c. prepare your quinoa to packet instructions, fluff up with a fork and allow to cool in a bowl.

peel and slice the carrots, spread on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil, honey and season with salt and pepper. stir everything up a bit to ensure the carrots are covered.honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad

bake for 15 minutes until they are tender, but still have a bite to them. remove the carrots with a slotted spoon to the quinoa bowl, toss the prawns onto the baking tray and throw back in the oven for a few minutes until they are just cooked.

in a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, the lemon zest and juice, and the remaining olive oil.honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad

cut your beetroot into thin wedges, add to the quinoa bowl with the prawns and toss together with half the dressing.

plate up the quinoa mixture on a bed of salad leaves and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the top. pour over the rest of the dressing.honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad   honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad

eating healthily doesn’t have to be boring. the colours and flavours in this fresh salad are way better than stale, stodgy takeaway any day – and it takes far less time to prepare than a chinese would take to be delivered.

you’ll be ready for the beach in no time…honey roasted carrot, beetroot, prawn and quinoa salad